I usually try to save money by bringing my own lunch and eating at work, but Nikki and I hadn’t seen much of each other that week because of our schedules, so I decided to ask my wife on a lunch date. (She accepted.)

Regina’s is one of our favorite lunch spots in Mobile. I take that back… Regina’s is our favorite lunch spot in Mobile. It’s at the loop and is right down the road from where I work, so it’s been a convenient go-to for us since it opened in 2010.

It offers indoor and outdoor seating, but try to arrive before or after the lunch rush because, if you don’t, you will have trouble finding a table. The locals know it’s good and pack it out every day of the week.

The menu consists mainly of sandwiches, but they also have salads and homemade soups.

Nikki often orders the Tom Turkey, and this visit was no exception. It sounds good when I describe it… smoked turkey, provolone, bacon, honey mustard – on toasted sourdough… but it’s even better when you taste it. It’s consistently good and, unless you’re really hungry, can serve as both lunch and dinner if you grab a to-go box.

I decided to go with a new sandwich on the menu, the Heisenberg. It’s basically a reuben topped with potato salad. Here’s the thing… I love a good reuben. It’s one of my favorite sandwiches… but I just can’t get into potato salad. If you like both then you’ll probably like this sandwich, but if you only like one, I’d say find something else. On a positive note, my side of fresh fruit with poppy seed dressing was good as always.

By the way, speaking of reubens, Regina’s has one of the best in town. They also have a mud pie dessert that I love. No strikes against our beloved Regina’s, I just took a chance and ordered the wrong thing.

One of our absolute favorite things about Regina’s, the thing that is the most distinguishing, is that it is truly family owned and operated. Almost every inch of the place is covered with old family photos, family artwork, vintage newspaper articles, all sorts of interesting, local, and personal stuff.

Personally I’m reluctant to gravitate toward a deli or sandwich shop because my first thought is, “Why should I pay someone to make me a sandwich? I can make a sandwich myself.” If you’re like me, just suppress that and walk in. Once you do, you’ll be hooked by the food, the service, and the ambiance like we were a few years ago… and have been ever since.